The Stratford Astronomy Group (SAG) drew 47 people to a Star Party at the Stratford-Perth Museum on Thursday evening, May 27, where attendees took in astronomy presentations and later viewed the night sky through a range of telescopes. Hosted by Kelly and the museum staff, the event brought together experienced observers and first-time skywatchers for an evening of learning and hands-on discovery.
The evening began indoors with three engaging presentations from SAG members, each offering a different window into astronomy, before attendees moved outside for an observing session behind the museum.
Denis Desmeules opened the program with an accessible look at how the sky changes through the day and across the seasons. He explained the Sun’s path, shifting shadows, and how Earth’s orbit changes what we see overhead throughout the year. With a May 2026 sky map, he also gave attendees a practical guide to what they could expect to spot that night and in the days ahead.
Patrick Hayes followed with a compelling tour of the universe’s hidden side, covering black holes, dark matter, and dark energy. Moving from the collapse of massive stars to the expansion of the universe itself, he highlighted a striking truth: everything we can see is only a small fraction of what exists.
Bruce Simpson wrapped up the indoor program with practical skywatching tips, using the Big Dipper to show how to find Polaris, bright stars, and other celestial landmarks. His presentation connected familiar patterns in the night sky to the larger skill of navigating and understanding what appears overhead.
After the talks, attendees headed outside to a lineup of Dobsonian reflectors, refractors, and SeeStar S50 smart telescopes, where the evening’s ideas quickly became real views of the sky.
The mix of traditional eyepiece viewing and live digital imaging gave visitors two very different ways to experience the sky. Some enjoyed the direct connection of looking through a telescope, while others were drawn to the colour-enhanced images building in real time on digital screens. Together, the instruments sparked conversation, curiosity, and plenty of excitement.
By night’s end, the Star Party had done exactly what it set out to do: bring people closer to the sky, deepen their understanding of what they were seeing, and leave them eager for the next chance to look up.
Below are links to each presentation.
The Invisible Cosmos – Patrick
Navigating Constellations – Bruce
We observed Jupiter and 4 of its moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. Almost a full Moon as well, big and swelling in the eyepieces. On May 31, we will witness a once-in-a-blue-moon event. When a full Moon appears twice in the same calendar month. Appropriate for our Star Party.
Tom Kimber – News
